


The Waiting Game

by misreall



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 17:38:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14454390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misreall/pseuds/misreall
Summary: Two strangers who are connected meet on the road.  (Infinity War spoilers)





	The Waiting Game

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS FOR AVENGERS INFINITY WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> I had to do this.

She had been sitting by the side of the road for a long time.  

She didn’t mind, really.  It was a pretty day, and working a desk job and then having a falling apart old house to take care of meant she hardly ever just got to just sit in the sun and enjoy the breeze.  The bird song. The smell of the trees and flowers and whatever else they had in nature. 

She wasn’t sure, she hadn’t done Girl Scouts.  

It seemed like it might have been fun, camping and singing and whatever else they did…

But, it would have been nice to know  _ where  _ she was waiting.  It wasn’t a city street or a highway, or even one of those spooky cul-du-sac things in the suburbs where you could keep turning and turning and never seem to get out.  It was a twisty, windy road, with fields on one side and dark forest on the other.

Periodically she would get up and cross the road, looking into either distance, and alternately sit by the field to catch some sun, or perch on a fallen log in the shade of the trees.  

It never seemed to get dark.  

The weather stayed the same.  Clear, with a few clouds, a breeze now and then.

Periodically someone, or sometimes a group of someones would pass her by.  Nora would wave or call out a ‘hi’ or ‘nice day for it.’ Every now and then one of them would frown and look around, confused, but no one stopped.

No one answered.

When she thought about it she realized that she had been sitting there for a long time.  A really long time.

And she couldn’t remember why.

 

_ \------------------When the Code Blue was called for Room 827 some of the nurses chose to see it as a slow code.  There was nothing that could be done. Nothing that would come out of it besides more of the same. Others, knowing why the patient was there, ran………………….. _

 

He was being broken.

Crushed.

There was a voice nattering on close to his ear but he could not make out the words.  It was too late and he doubted they were telling him anything he needed to know.

He had died before.

But this was different.

For a moment he wished he could see the look on his brother’s face when he realized that this was the worst trick he had ever played on him.

 

_ \--------------------The chaos in the tiny room was loud enough to wake the dead.  Nurses and doctors and machines. Oh my. It was loud enough to wake the dead, but apparently not to stop someone from dying……………………………………………………………………………………… _

 

She had just stood up, stretched and started to walk across the road when a sharp, deep pain shot through her head, down her neck, and into her chest.  

The surprise of it took her legs out from under her.

For a few moments she lay face down on the road, gasping for breath, seeing the edges of her vision get fuzzy and turn colors she had no name for.  There was grit on her mouth, her hand caught under her hurt from skinning along the ground, but she wasn’t afraid. 

She was astounded at how much she felt!  

How long had it been since she had felt anything other than a vague sense of bored patience?  

Granted, she was mostly feeling “ow” and “uck” and “it’s kind of cold today, actually,” but it was such a rush!  

Who knew being physically miserable could be so … good?

“Pardon me,” a dark, rasping voice spoke, “I hate to interrupt…”  A large hand wrapped itself around her arm and carefully turned her over.

She blinked, trying to focus on his face, surrounded by the sun.

 

_ \--------------------------”Call it!”  “No! Do you know who this woman is? She the last victim from-” “Doctor, you have to call it…”.................................................................................................... _

 

There was a woman lying in the road, clutching her chest and making the most pained noises.

He knelt, rolling her over, not sure where he was or why he was there, but strangely glad to not be alone in this empty place, even if his only company was in such distress.

Her teeth were clenched in agony, and he carefully wiped dirt away from her eyes and mouth.

“What can I do?”  He asked.

She flailed and grabbed his hand, squeezing, “Just,” she gasped out, “just wait with me….”

 

_ \-----------------------”Time of death, 7:15 pm.”  The attending threw the chart across the room where it left a mark on the wall.  He pointed at the body, and then at the others in the room, “That woman has been in a coma for almost six years.  She was the last, the last … she was that horned bastard’s last fucking victim!” He said, storming out of the room…………………. _

 

And just like that she felt fine.

She stood up, the man that had helped her trying to assist, but she felt good and shrugged off his hands.  She needed to move on her own.

“Thank y-” she turned to smile at him and then stopped.

Of all the dumb luck.

“You’re him, right?”

He frowned at her, his perfect features falling naturally into the expression.

“Have we met?”  He sounded haughty, but ironic.  No doubt thinking there was no way that a prince/god/whatever could have ever met such a lowly creature.

“Not exactly.  I was in New York.”

“Ah, yes,” he suddenly looked flustered, turning his head away as if that would keep her from seeing the flush and the look of discomfort.  Of guilt.

It was kind of cute.

Which was insane.  But true. She expected him to start pulling at his collar and sweating, except there was an almost unnatural cool coming from him.  It was a bit odd not to be furious or scared. Too much happy adrenaline for anything to bring her down.

Plus, what more could happen to her?

It was nice to get a good look at him and confirm what she had thought when she had seen him on television.

He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life.

And thinking that did make her laugh.  Because of course she _ hadn’t _ seen him in her life.

“So, listen, if you don’t know, if you haven’t figured it out, this is it.  The end of the line. You can go that way,” she pointed behind them, “but I wouldn’t recommend it.  Most of the … people that go that way don’t look too happy about it. Or you could go the other way, but I don’t know how welcome they would make you.”

 

She was tallish for a human woman, and her hair was dark and her eyes were bright, and he could tell she wanted to laugh at him even though he had done what he had done.  

Then she did laugh, not trying to stop herself.

“Which way are  _ you _ going?” he asked, for want of anything else to say.

“I’ve been sitting here for a long time, long enough to know that I’m going that way,” she said, pointing at the dark, dense forest.

“Why would you do such a thing?  There is barely even a deer path apparent.”

She shrugged lightly.  “I’ve never been in the woods before.  City girl. It looks cool, I guess? Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?  Anyway,” she patted him on the arm, “I’m as surprised to say this as you probably are to hear this, but good luck.  I guess there’s no point to hard feelings, right?”

He felt as if he had been struck by lightning.  And he had been struck by lightning many times, so he realized this was like being struck by lightning and enjoying it.  The woman was mad.

The woman was beautiful. 

Then she bent down and re-tied the hiking boots she wore, zipped up the leather jacket that covered her little green plaid dress, and walked off of the road into the thicket.

“Wait!” 

She popped back out, “Yup?”  Her brows were up a bit and her head was cocked like a curious fox.

“I feel that the least I can do, considering our … shared history, is to accompany you on this foolish trek.  Fortunately for you I have a great deal of experience in the wild.”

“Killing lions and tigers and bears, oh, my, I’m sure.”

“What?”

“Nothing.  So what you’re saying is that you are doing me a favor?”

“Well…”

She put her hands on her hips and raised a brow.  It was a very familiar look.

He bowed, respectfully, a fist to his chest, “It would be my honor, and privilege to accompany you, if you would have me.”

“Don’t you have something better to do?” she asked, walking back to meet him in the middle of road, her eyes on his, thoughtful and so bright.

“It would seem not.”

“You have the most amazing eyes.”

“You say the strangest things.”

She put out her hand, “Nora Walsh.”

He took it, warm and sure in his own cold grip, “Loki…” he thought for a moment, “Loki    
Thorsbróðir.”

She smiled, “Well, then, let’s get this show on the road.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> For anyone who hasn't read my other stories, this is connected to all of my existing Loki stories. Sorry if it makes no sense, but like I said, I had to.


End file.
